Twentyeight Health, a digital health company offering affordable access and convenience for women’s sexual and reproductive healthcare, today announced that the company has launched in Texas.
“Twentyeight Health will be expanding our Medicaid coverage of birth control to Texas residents at a time when access for women on Medicaid has been further limited,” said Amy Fan, co-founder of Twentyeight Health. “As Twentyeight continues to grow, we will always stay true to our core mission — ensuring that women from underserved communities have access to high-quality, and affordable sexual and reproductive care.”
According to recent data from Power to Decide, over 1.7 million women in Texas live in contraceptive deserts, counties in which there is not reasonable access to a health center offering the full range of contraceptive methods. In March, a Texas judge ruled that the state could remove Planned Parenthood from its Medicaid program, affecting more than 8,000 Texas women on Medicaid who received sexual and reproductive care services through Planned Parenthood.
“Contraceptive access for underserved communities, including women who are on Medicaid, are underinsured or are uninsured, is extremely challenging in Texas,” said Dr. Eduardo Garcia, MD, one of Twentyeight Health’s medical advisors. “Having seen the barriers firsthand in El Paso, I’m proud to be supporting Twentyeight’s expansion to Texas.”
Texas marks the thirteenth state where Twentyeight Health has launched its telemedicine services for birth control, with a focus on reaching underserved communities. The company accepts Medicaid in the majority of the states it’s available in, along with a wide range of commercial insurance. Twentyeight Health is working to provide free birth control for women who are not able to pay out of pocket through a partnership with Bedsider’s Contraceptive Access Fund, and donates 2% of revenues to Bedsider, and the National Institute for Reproductive Health.
“We are excited to be expanding our services to all Texans and bringing better access across the state, including the 10% of Texans that live in rural areas.” said Bruno Van Tuykom, co-founder of Twentyeight Health.
To sign up for Twentyeight Health, new customers fill out a medical questionnaire online, which a U.S. board-certified doctor reviews within 24 hours. Online audio consultations and doctor messaging are also available at no extra charge. Twentyeight Health provides ongoing care through unlimited doctor follow up messages to discuss issues such as updating prescriptions or addressing side effects.
